U.S. patent application number 14/036658 was filed with the patent office on 2014-03-27 for abrasive waterjet cutting system for subsea operations.
The applicant listed for this patent is Paul L. Miller, Ian Roberts. Invention is credited to Paul L. Miller, Ian Roberts.
Application Number | 20140087637 14/036658 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50339284 |
Filed Date | 2014-03-27 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140087637 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Miller; Paul L. ; et
al. |
March 27, 2014 |
Abrasive Waterjet Cutting System For Subsea Operations
Abstract
An abrasive entrainment waterjet cutting system capable of
cutting objects located underwater, particularly in deep subsea
environments, wherein the abrasive system is comprised of an
abrasive component suspended in a hydrophobic matrix component.
Inventors: |
Miller; Paul L.; (Harvest,
AL) ; Roberts; Ian; (Houston, TX) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Miller; Paul L.
Roberts; Ian |
Harvest
Houston |
AL
TX |
US
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
50339284 |
Appl. No.: |
14/036658 |
Filed: |
September 25, 2013 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
|
|
61705420 |
Sep 25, 2012 |
|
|
|
61826078 |
May 22, 2013 |
|
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Current U.S.
Class: |
451/91 |
Current CPC
Class: |
B24C 7/0023 20130101;
B24C 11/005 20130101; B24C 1/045 20130101; B24C 7/003 20130101;
B24C 3/00 20130101; B24C 3/12 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
451/91 |
International
Class: |
B24C 3/00 20060101
B24C003/00 |
Claims
1. An abrasive waterjet cutting system comprised of: a) a source of
process water for the waterjet; b) a waterjet pump in fluid
communication with the source of process water, which waterjet pump
is capable of delivering a jet of water at a pressure of at least
280 MPa; c) a stored supply of abrasive cutting material comprised
of a particulate abrasive component at least partially suspended in
a hydrophobic matrix component; d) an entrainment abrasive waterjet
cutting head in fluid communication with said waterjet pump and
said stored supply of abrasive cutting material; and e) a means for
feeding said abrasive cutting material to said cutting head in a
controlled manner.
2. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 1 wherein the
hydrophobic matrix is a liquid.
3. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 2 wherein the
liquid is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic
hydrocarbons having a carbon number between about 6 and 20,
aromatic hydrocarbons having a carbon number between about 6 and
20, petroleum oils, animal oils, and plant oils.
4. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 3 wherein the
liquid is a petroleum oil.
5. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 1 wherein the
hydrophobic matrix component is a semi-solid or solid material.
6. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 5 wherein the
hydrophobic matrix component is selected from the group consisting
of greases, waxes, gel-like materials, and soaps.
7. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 6 wherein the
hydrophobic matrix is a wax selected from plant waxes, animal
waxes, and mineral waxes.
8. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 6 wherein the
hydrophobic matrix is a gel.
9. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 8 wherein the gel
is selected from the group consisting of silica gels, silica gels
modified with trimethylsilyl and C6-C18 alkyl groups; hydroxypropyl
beaded dextran; hydroxypropyl beaded dextran substituted with
C13-C18 alkyl ethers; and polyethyleneglycol (PEG) end-capped with
a fluoroalkyl group.
10. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 1 wherein the
ratio of abrasive to hydrophobic matrix component, by volume
percent, is from about 20:80 to 80:20.
11. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 10 wherein the
ratio of abrasive to hydrophobic matrix component, by volume
percent, is from about 40:60 to 60:40.
12. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 1 wherein the
abrasive material is conducted to the waterjet cutting head by use
of a piston pump.
13. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 2 wherein the
piston pump is driven by electrical power.
14. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 13 wherein the
electrical power is obtained from an umbilical cord from a surface
vessel to a remotely operated vehicle.
15. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 14 wherein the
piston pump is driven by hydraulic power.
16. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 15 wherein the
hydraulic power is obtained from the hydraulic system of a remotely
operated vehicle.
17. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 11 wherein the
piston pump has a microprocessor control system.
18. The abrasive waterjet cutting system of claim 1 wherein the
process water has less than about 350 parts per million of
dissolved solids.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application is based on Provisional Patent Applications
61/705,420 filed Sep. 25, 2012 and 61/826,078 filed May 22,
2013.
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
[0002] This invention relates to an abrasive entrainment waterjet
cutting system capable of cutting objects located under a body of
water, particularly in deep subsea environments, wherein the
abrasive material is comprised of an abrasive component suspended
in a hydrophobic matrix component.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] There is a demand for underwater cutting of metals, stone,
and other hard materials for such things as mining, salvage, rescue
work, offshore platform removal, nuclear plant service, deep ocean
rock sampling, infrastructure development, petroleum exploration
and development, disposal of discarded military munitions, as well
as environmental remediation. Underwater work environments are
among the most difficult and dangerous operating areas for cutting
objects. The development of manned submersibles and remotely
operated vehicles (ROVs) has extended the maximum working depth for
underwater operations, thereby magnifying the shortcomings of
conventional underwater cutting techniques.
[0004] Problems relating to hydrostatic pressure, high liquid
viscosity (compared to air), waters' high thermal and electrical
conductivity, and the lack of visibility all hamper conventional
cutting technologies. Oxy-arc, oxy-fuel, oxy-hydrogen and
underwater arc cutting can be used to cut steels underwater at
limited depths. Mechanical drills and cutting tools, such as
circular, ring, band, wire, and abrasive saws, are also used
underwater with varying degrees of success. None of these methods
are easy to perform underwater and all have limitations that
restrict their use. They are also generally dangerous to use around
hazardous and explosive materials that are all too frequently found
in subsea environments.
[0005] One conventional method for disposing of underwater
structures is to sever them in-situ using highly skilled divers to
place the necessary explosive charges. Unfortunately, fish and
marine mammals such as whales, dolphins, and porpoises can be
killed or seriously injured up to several kilometers from an
underwater detonation owing to the effects of explosive shock
overpressure. Abrasive entrainment waterjets have the potential of
providing a safe and environmentally friendly alternative to
conventional underwater cutting technologies if certain obstacles
can be addressed. Such obstacles include being able to feed a
substantially steady flow of abrasive material to the waterjet
cutting head
[0006] The word "waterjet" is an ambiguous term used to broadly
describe essentially any process that expels a liquid, regardless
of pressure or fluid chemistry, through an orifice to form a fluid
jet. The wide-ranging term of "waterjet" is used to include
everything from low-pressure dental hygiene equipment to
high-pressure systems incorporating abrasives that can cut through
thick hardened steel. In addition, a further confusion is
introduced as the use of the word "water" in the term "waterjet"
does not limit the application's use to only pure water as the
fluid in the waterjet. In this context the word "water" can infer
any fluid, any solution, and any solid material that will flow
through an orifice under pressure, or any gas that liquefies under
pressure, such as ammonia, to form what should more precisely be
termed a "fluid" jet but by convention is defined in the trade as a
"waterjet."
[0007] Waterjets are fast, flexible, reasonably precise, and have
recently become relatively easy to use. They use the technology of
high-pressure water being forced through a small hole (typically
called the "orifice" or "jewel") to concentrate an extreme amount
of energy through a small area. The restriction of the small
orifice converts the high pressure water into a high-velocity
waterjet. The inlet (process) water for a pure waterjet is
typically pressurized between 20,000 psi (138 MPa) and 150,000 psi
(414 MPa). This is forced through the orifice, which is typically
about 0.007'' to 0.020'' in diameter (0.18 to 0.4 mm). The result
is a very high-velocity, very thin jet of water traveling in excess
of the speed of sound in air.
[0008] Abrasive slurry waterjet, also known as an abrasive
suspension jet, typically uses a hopper filled with abrasive,
water, and a slurrying or suspension agent. This combined mixture
is then pressurized and forced through the orifice of the cutting
head. An abrasive slurry waterjet system must maintain the abrasive
in suspension. This is typically done by the use of chemical
additives and/or mechanical means, in order to prevent the abrasive
from dropping out of suspension in the piping which can result in
plugging and disabling of the system. Likewise, the flow of a
pressurized abrasive and water slurry mix is highly erosive to
piping, valves, and fittings used in the system. In addition, one
or more large pressure vessels must be used to contain a sufficient
amount of abrasive slurry for cutting. Consequently, an abrasive
slurry waterjet system is typically limited in pressure to
approximately 140 MPa, and normally operates at pressures closer to
about 70 MPa.
[0009] Abrasive entrainment waterjet uses a high velocity waterjet,
formed by pressurized water passing through an orifice (jewel) of
the cutting head resulting in a partial vacuum in a mixing chamber
downstream of the orifice that aspirates and entrains abrasive
particles that are introduced into the mixing chamber. Although
transport and delivery of abrasive particles is typically performed
by vacuum aspiration, the abrasive transport can also be performed
by pneumatic conveyance, or by a fluid conveyance as an abrasive
suspension, as taught in Xu, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,200,203, which
is incorporated herein by reference.
[0010] Abrasive entrainment waterjet technology has several
advantages over abrasive slurry waterjet technology. For example,
it is more reliable; it requires less maintenance; it is able to
operate at internal system pressures up to about 1,000 MPa or more;
it can operate in a continuous mode rather than in a batch mode; it
doesn't require expensive chemical additives; and it is able to
operate with significantly lower abrasive consumption.
[0011] Waterjet technology has been used underwater for cutting
metals and stone. For example, waterjets were taught as being
effective in underwater mining operations. See Borkowski, P. and
Borkowski, J. (2011). "Basis of High-pressure Water Jet
Implementation for Poly-metallic Concretions Output from the
Ocean's Bottom," Rocznik Ochrony rodowiska Selected full texts, 13,
ppg. 65-82. An abrasive slurry system is taught as being capable of
operating underwater as long as the internal fluid pressure is
substantially higher than the surrounding hydrostatic pressure.
[0012] While the art teaches the possibility of using waterjet
technology for underwater cutting, serious problems still exist
that must be overcome before such technology can successfully be
used commercially, especially in deep water.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0013] In accordance with the present invention there is provided
an abrasive entrainment waterjet cutting system comprised of:
[0014] a) a source of process water for the waterjet; [0015] b) a
waterjet pump in fluid communication with the source of process
water, which waterjet pump is capable of delivering a jet of water
at a pressure of at least 280 MPa; [0016] c) a stored supply of
abrasive material comprised of a particulate abrasive component at
least partially suspended in a hydrophobic matrix component; [0017]
d) an entrainment abrasive waterjet cutting head in fluid
communication with said waterjet pump and said stored supply of
abrasive cutting material; and [0018] e) a means for feeding said
abrasive material to said cutting head in a controlled manner.
[0019] In a preferred embodiment of the present invention the
hydrophobic matrix component is a liquid selected from the group
consisting of aliphatic hydrocarbons having a carbon number between
about 6 and about 20, petroleum oils, animal oils, and plant
oils.
[0020] In another preferred embodiment, the hydrophobic matrix
component is a gel.
[0021] In yet another preferred embodiment of the present invention
the hydrophobic matrix component is a wax selected from the group
consisting of plant waxes, animal waxes, and mineral waxes.
[0022] In still another preferred embodiment of the present
invention the ratio of abrasive to hydrophobic matrix component is
about 20:80 to about 80:20.
[0023] In another preferred embodiment of the present invention the
abrasive material is conducted to the waterjet cutting head by use
of a pump that is powered by the electrical power from an umbilical
cord from a surface vessel to an underwater remotely operated
vehicle.
[0024] In still another preferred embodiment of the present
invention the pump used to conduct the abrasive material to the
waterjet cutting head is powered by the hydraulic system of a
subsea remotely operated vehicle.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0025] By underwater, or under a body of water, we mean that the
object to be cut is found resting or part of a structure secured to
the bottom of a body of water. Non-limiting examples of bodies of
water include oceans, seas, bays, rivers, as well as man-made
bodies of water such as reservoirs and lakes. For purposes of the
present invention the object to be cut will typically be at depths
from about 30 ft (10 meters) to about 20,000 ft (6100 meters),
preferably from about 300 ft (91 meters to 1500 meters) 300 ft to
about 5,000 ft.
[0026] An abrasive entrainment waterjet has a distinct disadvantage
as compared to abrasive slurry jet when used underwater because the
abrasive transport and feed system is severely hampered, if not
completely disrupted, by the hydrostatic backpressure of the
surrounding water forcing its way under pressure into the abrasive
system. Water entering the abrasive feed system will wet the
abrasive. A wet abrasive mix will become a relatively coarse mud
that can plug the system, similar to what happens to an abrasive
slurry jet when the aqueous suspension fails. Hydrostatic
backpressure increases underwater at the rate of about 9.8 kPa/m
(0.432 psi/ft.) of depth in freshwater and at roughly the rate of
10 kPa/m (0.445 psi/ft.) of depth in seawater. Consequently, the
problem is rapidly exacerbated by depth. In addition, the cold
temperature of the surrounding seawater as depth increases can
cause both moisture to be precipitated in the abrasive feed system
and the hydrostatic backpressure to increase with an increase in
likelihood of forcing water into the abrasive feed system.
[0027] In order to utilize the advantages of abrasive entrainment
waterjet technology over abrasive slurry waterjet technology, and
to be able to successfully commercially operate underwater, the
following problems must be solved: supplying water at a pressure of
at least about 280 MPa to the waterjet cutting head; supplying a
measured and substantially continuous stream of abrasive material
to the abrasive waterjet cutting head; and preventing plugging or
jamming from the reservoir of abrasive material to the abrasive
waterjet cutting head.
[0028] The type of waterjet cutting head used in the practice of
the present invention will be an abrasive entrainment waterjet
cutting head that is generally comprised of: a metal body having an
outer cylindrical surface and a central bore substantially parallel
to the cylindrical surface, with an upstream direction and a
downstream direction. It will have a jewel orifice mounted in the
bore in the metal body. A portion of the central bore will
typically be downstream of the jewel forming a mixing chamber. An
inclined bore for abrasive material passes from the outer
cylindrical surface to the central bore, preferably at an incline
and joining the central bore downstream of the jewel at the mixing
chamber. There is also typically provided a nozzle wherein the
waterjet containing the abrasive further mixes and exits.
[0029] Any type of waterjet pump can be used in the practice of the
present invention as long as it is capable of delivering a jet of
water, with entrained abrasive material, at a pressure of at least
about 280 MPa to about 1000 MPa. A referred type of waterjet pumps
suitable for use in the present invention is an intensifier pump.
Waterjet intensifier pumps are well known in the art and utilize
the so-called "intensification" principle. A waterjet intensifier
pump typically operates by having pressurized hydraulic oil flow
into one side of a centrally located hydraulic piston having double
ended piston rods extending into the high pressure water cylinders
at each end. The central hydraulic piston of the intensifier pump
is typically 20 times the area of each piston rod giving a 20:1
intensification ratio. The piston rods, in turn, form the high
pressure water pistons. Consequently, an application of 14 MPa
hydraulic oil to the central hydraulic piston results in a
twenty-fold intensification of pressure in the water cylinder and
yields an outlet water pressure of 280 MPa. The outlet pressure of
the water can be controlled by adjusting the inlet hydraulic oil
pressure. When the centrally located hydraulic piston reaches the
end of its stroke, a hydraulic valve body switches the flow of oil
to the opposite side of the hydraulic piston and the process
continues with the opposite water piston. The depressurized oil
from the central cylinder is exhausted via the control valves to an
exhaust port connected with an oil return to an oil reservoir,
which can be underwater or at the surface. High-pressure water can
be provided to the waterjet cutting head by any suitable means,
such as by locating the waterjet pump at the surface and conducting
the pressurized water to a submerged waterjet cutting head by use
of a high pressure hose. One major drawback with this method is
that using a high-pressure hose to supply water from the surface to
an abrasive entrainment waterjet cutting head underwater is a
problem that increases with increasing depth. For example, high
pressure hoses are expensive, heavy, and have a pressure drop due
to internal fluid friction. It is known in the art that submerged
hose lengths of at least about 2.5 times the water depth are
required for efficient operations. Working at depths of 400 m (1300
ft.) would require about 1,000 m (3,300 ft.) of hose with over 1.8
tons (4,000 lb.) of line tension pulling on the hose just from its
own weight.
[0030] A preferred method of supplying high pressure water is to
use pressurized hydraulic oil fed by hydraulic hoses from pumps on
the surface, typically operating at pressures from about 14 MPa to
105 MPa, preferably from about 14 MPa to 35 MPa, to a waterjet
intensifier pump located underwater and returning the resulting
depressurized hydraulic oil to the surface. A hydraulic feed hose
and return hose are significantly lighter and less expensive than
high-pressure waterjet hoses. The exhaust pressure alone will be
sufficient to pump the oil up a return line back to the surface. As
an alternative, a supplementary pump can be added to assist in
pumping the oil to the surface for reuse.
[0031] High pressure hydraulic fluid can also be powered by the
ROV's on-board hydraulic system and used to power a submerged high
pressure waterjet intensifier pump. Submerged operations require
the use of an electrical umbilical power line from the surface to
the ROV, as described by the U.S. Naval Oceans Systems Command's
Technical Document 1530, dated April 1989. A hydraulic power
attachment can be made through a standard ROV "hot-stab" port
conforming to ISO 13628-8, titled "Remotely operated tools and
interfaces on subsea production systems," or through standard
quick-disconnect fittings, such as Parker FH Series Couplings, or
similar hydraulic connections know to those skilled in the art. The
waterjet pump can be mounted on the ROV or mounted as an accessory
unit as a separate fixture that the ROV can pick up and put down as
required. A subsea hot-stab is known in the art to be a high
pressure sub-sea connector that is typically used to connect into a
fluid system for intervention/emergency operations. It is typically
designed to be ROV activated. A subsea hot-stab basically comprises
two parts; a valve, and a tool that connects to the valve and
functions it.
[0032] In order to provide high pressures with reduced wear and
increased reliability it is preferred to demineralize the process
water that is used at high pressures. By process water we mean the
water that is pressurized by the waterjet pump and used for
cutting. It is preferred that the process water contain no more
than about 350 parts per million total dissolved solids. In
comparison, seawater is typically in the range of about 35 parts
per thousand of dissolved solids. The approximate distribution of
dissolved minerals is: 55% chloride; 30.6% sodium; 7.7% sulfate;
3.7% magnesium; 1.2% calcium; and 1.1% potassium ions. In addition
to the dissolved minerals, the water can contain suspended
materials such as algae, plankton, and finely dispersed solids.
Process water from a surface ship can be supplied as part of an
umbilical cord along with power and control cabling. It is also
within the scope of this invention that the process water be
obtained from a process water holding tank stored underwater and
within the vicinity of the object to be cut. The process water can
also be generated by the filtering of seawater either at the
surface or by a subsea operation.
[0033] Filtration of the seawater greatly increases the reliability
of the high pressure waterjet equipment. Filtration can be provided
by one or more stages of mechanical filtration using increasingly
finer meshes to mechanically capture the suspended materials. These
mechanical filters can be provided with pleating, caused by
alternate folding patterns, to increase the surface area of the
filter media. These mechanical filters can also be fitted with
manual or automatic backwash capabilities to allow a counter
current flow pressurized water to remove surface contamination that
can occlude the filter media, known as "blinding." In addition, a
secondary set of one or more containers of solid or particulate
materials with a high degree of porosity can be used to increase
the efficiency of suspended material removal by use of torturous
pathways, such as in a packed filter using crushed quartz, or by
adsorption mechanisms, such as by the use of activated carbon or
diatomaceous earth.
[0034] An abrasive entrainment waterjet starts out the same as a
pure waterjet, but with an abrasive entrainment waterjet, as the
high pressure stream of water leaves the orifice abrasive is added
to the stream at a mixing chamber. The high-velocity jet of water
exiting the orifice creates a vacuum that pulls abrasive from an
abrasive line, which then mixes with the jet of water in the mixing
chamber of the cutting head and is jetted out of a nozzle. The jet
of water accelerates the abrasive particles to speeds fast enough
to cut through very hard materials. The cutting action of an
abrasive waterjet is two-fold. The force of the water and abrasive
erodes the material, even if the jet is held stationary (which is
how an object is initially pierced). The cutting action is greatly
enhanced when the abrasive waterjet stream is moved across the
intended cutting path of the object. The ideal speed of cutting
depends on a variety of factors, including the hardness of the
object being cut, the shape of the object, the waterjet pressure,
and the type of abrasive. Controlling the speed of the abrasive
waterjet cutting head is crucial to efficient and economical
cutting.
[0035] Non-limiting examples of abrasive materials that are
suitable for use in the present invention include glass, silica,
alumina, silicon carbide aluminum-based materials, garnet, as well
as elemental metal and metal alloy slags and grits. Preferred are
garnet and aluminum-based materials. It is also preferred that the
abrasive particles have either sharp edges or that they be capable
of fracturing into pieces having sharp cutting edges, such as for
example, octahedron or dodecahedron shaped particles. The size of
the abrasive particles may be any suitable effective size. By
effective size, is meant a size that will not plug the cutting head
and that will be effective for removing the material of which the
targeted object to be cut is made from (typically a metal alloy,
such as steel) and which is effective for forming a substantially
homogeneous mixture with the fluid carrier. Useful particle sizes
for the abrasive material will range from about 3 mm to 55 microns,
preferably from about 15 mm to 105 microns, and most preferably
from about 125 microns to about 250 microns.
[0036] It is important that the abrasive material be delivered to
the waterjet cutting head without jamming or plugging. In shallow
water, a surface vessel can supply dry abrasive via a hose down to
the waterjet cutting head. A braided metal hose is recommended to
prevent the hose from crushing under hydrostatic pressure. The
aspiration of the mixing chamber in the entrainment abrasive
waterjet cutting head will preferably provide sufficient suction at
depths to approximately 90 m (300 ft.). At greater depths the
delivery of the abrasive material becomes more of a problem.
[0037] It is preferred, for the practice of the present invention,
that a hydrophobic material be used as a matrix for forming a
pumpable slurry with the abrasive component. Non-limiting examples
of such matrix materials suitable for use herein include aliphatic
hydrocarbons having a carbon number between about 6 and about 20,
preferably between about 10 and 14, petroleum oils, animal oils,
and plant oils, preferred are hydrophobic oils, more preferred are
petroleum oils. The hydrophobic material is incorporated with the
abrasive to form a slurry that is capable of being mechanically
injected into the abrasive waterjet cutting head at a controlled
rate. This can be determined by an abrasive feed control system
using a conventional piston, gear, or peristaltic pump, auger, etc.
A piston pump is preferably used for conducting the abrasive slurry
into the cutting head by compressing the slurry with a piston using
pressure supplied by a hydraulic piston, an electrically driven
rack or threaded shaft, or a hydraulically driven rack or threaded
shaft.
[0038] The discharge rate of the piston pump can be controlled by
the abrasive feed control system by varying the duty cycle or by
varying the electricity or the hydraulic pressure applied to the
piston pump motor. The ratio of abrasive to hydrophobic material
will be an effective ratio. By effective ratio we mean at a ratio
that will enable the abrasive to become and stay substantially
suspended in the hydrophobic matrix material and that can be
conducted, without substantial plugging, to the abrasive waterjet
cutting head. It is preferred that the suspension be a
substantially homogeneous suspension. Such a ratio of abrasive to
hydrophobic matrix material, by volume, will be about 20:80 to
about 80:20. An excess amount of abrasive, known as a "rich"
mixture, is undesirable because it will create too much pressure on
the slurry delivery system, while an excess of the hydrophobic
matrix, known as a "lean" mixture, can cause the abrasive waterjet
cutting head to be inefficient during cutting. The liquid
hydrophobic matrix is dispersed by the high pressure jet of water
along with the abrasive in the mixing chamber of the abrasive
waterjet cutting head and will form a solid-liquid-liquid jet upon
exiting the abrasive waterjet nozzle with the abrasive, hydrophobic
material, and water, respectively.
[0039] It is within the scope of this invention that the
hydrophobic material be a solid or high viscosity liquid selected
from greases, and waxy materials, such as, but not limited to,
paraffin wax or beeswax. These solid materials incorporate the
abrasive so that a flexible solid or semi-solid strip, tube, or
rod, etc., of abrasive and binder matrix (solid material) can be
mechanically fed into the abrasive waterjet cutting head at a
controlled rate, under the control of the abrasive feed control
system, by plastic deformation. Other non-limiting examples of such
solids suitable for use herein include plant waxes, animal waxes,
mineral jellies, mineral waxes, mineral soaps, mineral greases, and
animal greases or mixtures thereof. The binder matrix is dispersed
by the high pressure jet of water along with the abrasive in the
mixing chamber of the abrasive waterjet cutting head and would form
a solid-solid-liquid jet upon exiting the abrasive waterjet nozzle
with the abrasive, hydrophobic matrix, and water, respectively.
[0040] Hydrophobic gels can also be used for the matrix for the
suspension of the abrasives. Gels are comprised of a solid
three-dimensional network that spans the volume of a liquid medium
and ensnares it through surface tension effects. Non-limiting
examples of hydrophobic gels suitable for use herein include
hydrophobic silica gels modified with trimethylsilyl and long-chain
alkyl (C6-C18) groups; hydroxypropyl beaded dextran that has been
substituted with long chain (C13-C18) alkyl ethers; and
polyethyleneglycol (PEG) end-capped with fluoroalkyl groups.
[0041] The above abrasive and hydrophobic matrix can be
mechanically fed into the abrasive waterjet cutting head at a
controlled rate. This can be done by any suitable means, such as by
heating the hydrophobic matrix material until it is in a plastic or
liquid state, using heat, preferably by electric resistance
elements or heated process fluids, for example, from the ROV's
hydraulic pump. The abrasive/hydrophobic matrix can then be pumped
to the waterjet cutting head using any suitable conventional pump,
such as a piston, gear, or peristaltic pump, auger, etc. The
liquefied matrix is dispersed by the high pressure jet of water
along with the abrasive in the mixing chamber of the abrasive
waterjet cutting head and forms a solid-liquid-liquid jet upon
exiting the abrasive waterjet nozzle with the abrasive, liquefied
hydrophobic matrix, and water, respectively
[0042] The abrasive mix can be metered using a programmable
electronic or mechanical device, known as the abrasive feed control
system that will allow precise control over the quantity of
abrasive mix being fed to the abrasive waterjet cutting head. In
one preferred embodiment a microprocessor-based system is used. A
mechanical logic control system likewise can use fluidic,
pneumatic, or mechanical logic processing to regulate the flow of
the abrasive mix.
[0043] The abrasive feed and metering system for the abrasive mix
can use a number of types of feed systems, such as incremental
piston feed systems or increment feeders, such as belt feed, bucket
feed, reciprocating feed, or oscillating feed, etc., powered by
electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, or pneumatic means under fixed
control or under the control of the abrasive control system. Also,
the abrasive feed and metering system will monitor the seawater
hydrostatic backpressure at the abrasive waterjet cutting head to
maintain the internal pressure in the abrasive system, particularly
in the abrasive reservoir, at a higher pressure, preferably about
125 Pa to 7 kPa higher, than the surrounding water pressure by
means of a differential pressure sensor.
* * * * *